From Music Business Worldwide · · 1m 40s
Majors and BMG lose Supreme Court fight over songwriters’ worldwide copyright reclaims
Supreme Court rejects majors' challenge to let songwriters reclaim global copyright after technicality.
In brief
Supreme Court rejects majors' challenge to let songwriters reclaim global copyright after technicality. US Supreme Court upholds Fifth Circuit ruling allowing songwriters to reclaim worldwide copyright after 56 years for pre-1978 works. Originally reported by Music Business Worldwide.
Supreme Court declines to hear case
The majors and BMG lost their bid to get the US Supreme Court to overturn a ruling that lets songwriters reclaim their copyrights worldwide.
Four justices recuse from case
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson took no part in the case, leaving the court short of six justices.
Fifth Circuit ruling stands
The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled in January that songwriters can reclaim worldwide copyright after 56 years for pre-1978 works.
Case involves Double Shot song
The case centers on Double Shot (Of My Baby’s Love), a 1962 song written by Cyril Vetter and Donald Smith.
Song rights transferred for $1
In 1963, Vetter and Smith assigned song rights to Windsong Music Publishers for one dollar.
Vetter sues for worldwide rights
Vetter sued in 2023 to be declared sole owner of the song worldwide after his termination notice took effect in 2022.
Fifth Circuit upholds Vetter’s claim
The Fifth Circuit ruled in January 2026 that Vetter is the sole owner of all rights to Double Shot worldwide.
Publishers challenge Supreme Court
Four publishers bought Resnik’s stake and took the case to the Supreme Court, claiming the ruling would disrupt global copyright practices.
What to remember
US Supreme Court upholds Fifth Circuit ruling allowing songwriters to reclaim worldwide copyright after 56 years for pre-1978 works.
